Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said after meting with United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) chief, Lamberto Zannier, that his country was displeased with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's "unilateral actions," and his attempts to launch the reconfiguration process without a Security Council resolution.
He stressed the need to preserve Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and said ongoing contacts with UNMIK representatives were vital.
Zannier said that UNMIK wanted to preserve peace and stability in the region, stating that this was his mission's most important objective.
The UNMIK chief said that his mission would work "on the basis of full status neutrality" and strictly in accordance with the UN mandate under Resolution 1244.
The EU has welcomed UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's proposal that the UN cede its powers to the government of Kosovo and to a 2,200-strong EU mission to be deployed there, a move Russia has strongly opposed.
Kosovo, with a 90% ethnic-Albanian majority, has been formally recognized as a sovereign state by 43 UN member states, including the U.S. and most EU members since it proclaimed its independence from Serbia on February 17.
Russia, Serbia's long-time ally and a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, has refused to recognize Kosovo's independence.
